THE REBEL GIRLS OF ROME, by Jordyn Taylor, HarperCollins, July 8, 2025, Hardcover, $19.99, Paperback, $15.99 (young adult, ages 14 and up)
Decades apart, two young women deal with WWII and its aftermath in The Rebel Girls of Rome, by Jordyn Taylor.
Now:
Grieving the loss of her mother, college student Lilah is hoping to reconnect with a grandfather who refuses to talk about his past. Then she receives a mysterious letter from a fellow student, Tommaso, claiming he’s found a lost family heirloom, and her world is upended.
Soon Lilah finds herself in Rome, trying to unlock her grandfather’s history as a Holocaust survivor once and for all. But as she and Tommaso get closer to the truth—and their relationship begins to deepen into something sweeter—Lilah realizes that some secrets may be too painful to unbury…
Then:
It’s 1943, and nineteen-year-old Bruna and her family are doing their best to survive in Rome’s Jewish quarter under Nazi occupation. Until the dreaded knock comes early one morning, and Bruna is irrevocably separated from the rest of her family.
Overcome with guilt at escaping her family’s fate in the camps, she joins the underground rebellion. When her missions bring her back to her childhood crush, Elsa, Bruna must decide how much she’s willing to risk—when fully embracing herself is her greatest act of resistance. —Synopsis provided by HarperCollins
The Rebel Girls of Rome is a mystery and romance that spans 80 years.
The story centers around Lilah, a college student grieving her mother’s death and looking to understand her grandfather’s past, and Bruna, a queer Jewish woman who joins the resistance during World War II.
Lilah is loving and inquisitive. Her mother grew up knowing nothing of her father’s past, and now that she’s gone, Lilah is determined to get answers. Answers that threaten to upend everything she’s ever known.
Bruna is a witness to Nazi atrocities. After watching her family marched off to who knows where, Bruna is determined to do whatever it takes to thwart Nazi plans.
Told from alternating first-person points of view, The Rebel Girls of Rome offers a compelling juxtaposition of two young women who are driven by love.
Author Jordyn Taylor’s complex historical mystery is thoughtful and engaging.
*Sensitivity note: Though tasteful, The Rebel Girls of Rome features elements of violence and trauma. There is also a scene that alludes to sexual acts.
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